Mayuyu
by duskglow
Summary: Watanabe Mayu is a typical Japanese 11 year old girl, until she finds herself at Hogwarts. The English wizard world is its typical, strange, incompetent, and borderline malicious self. How will she thrive in such an environment? Realistic Japanese culture and language, explores cultural and language differences. No (or very little) crack this time.
1. Beginner

I forgot to add a disclaimer - though below is a sort of one. I don't own the HP Universe, or any of the original characters, they belong to JK Rowling. I don't own Mayu Watanabe, she belongs to herself (and possibly her agency) though I hope she doesn't mind if I borrow her for a bit.. Everything else, I own.

Thanks for reading this. Before we start, there are a few very important notes.

This story is massively, massively AU. I use the people and places from the Harry Potter universe, and that's about it. It's timeshifted, people shifted, and people may act in OOC ways, though I will try to keep their base personalities. Please don't complain that "X wouldn't behave this way". I know, and I did it anyway. I also have little regard for fanon, so I may do things that seem a little strange. I did that on purpose too.

One of the main characters in this story is based on a real person. Let's get that out of the way now. She is a graduated member of the Japanese girl group AKB48. All that said, my character is *based on* a real person, and is in no way intended to be a representation of said person. The name is identical. In my story, her appearance is identical. Her personality (at least what she has chosen to reveal in public) is similar but not by any means identical. Any detail but her name, though, may be very much different from her real personality or family situation, and those differences are solely my responsibility. If she somehow leaves a review and says "I wouldn't do that", then that's that. She wouldn't. But my character would. That said, I will be respectful. She is one of my favorite members of that group, past and present. I'm not some kind of otaku fan, but that deserves respect, anyway. Put another way, there will be no hanky-panky for a very, very long time, if at all, and probably not at all.

I am learning Japanese. I am not fluent in Japanese. I will need to look up some things, and may get things wrong. I will be as accurate as I can. I am going back and forth with myself as to whether to provide translations, but I think, at least in some cases, I will not. There is a certain amount of frustration and tension in the first part of this story, and I want you to experience some of it. Google Translate is your friend if you are really curious. I also intend to be as accurate to Japanese culture, when appropriate, as possible. What I mean is, my Japanese characters are going to be as actually Japanese, with Japanese attitudes, as I, being an American, can possibly make them (and _real_ Japanese culture, not anime or manga). You may even find these attitudes offensive. I don't care. Fair warning. It's a different culture. On the other hand, I'm not Japanese. I could yet get them wrong. Cut me some slack for actually trying, which is more than many authors would do.

When I do choose to provide translations, the words will appear like this… 「translation」instead of quotes.

Also, in this story, there are no spells or potions to allow you to learn a different language. I think this is actually canon, because if there were, you wouldn't need to learn ancient runes, then, would you?

I think those are the important things. Author's notes will be sparse from here out. On with the story.

\- Mayuyu -

It was a beautiful spring day in Saitama, a city in the suburbs of Greater Tokyo, in the small but very busy island nation of Japan. The _sakura_ were not quite in full bloom, but they were budding, and threatening to shortly disgorge their payload of beautiful leaves with various shades of red and white. She could see Mt. Fuji in the distance, its conical, snow capped peak just peeking over the houses and buildings that stretched almost as far as the eye could see.

This was Watanabe Mayu's favorite time of the year, she thought, as she bicycled home from school. The cold of the winter was gone, soon to be replaced by the heat and humidity of summer, but at this time of the year, the temperature was just perfect, and the air smelled of fragrant flowers and trees, with just a tinge of fumes from the cars and busses that drove by on the main roads nearby. The small, black-haired girl hummed to herself as she passed row after row of densely packed houses, even waving at the odd _ojisan_ and _obasan_ who she had known since she was a little girl. They waved back, of course. She had heard stories of how unfriendly some foreigners could be, and she even encountered one or two when her parents had taken her on trips to Tokyo, but she liked where she lived. They were reserved, like many Japanese could be, but they were friendly and looked out for each other. It was home.

She could smell the food being prepared from different houses as she went home, and her mouth started watering. Visions of different foods started swimming around in her head as her 11 year old stomach started growling. She hadn't realized how hungry she was, but she pedalled just a little faster, in hopes of filling her stomach just that little bit sooner.

Finally, just a little bit out of breath, she arrived back to her house. It was a typical Japanese suburban house, densely packed with many other houses, with little room for open space. But, it, too, was home. She gently placed her bicycle in its proper place and walked into the house, expecting to find some delicious food waiting. Instead, she found her mother and her father seated at the low table, with serious looks on their face. And a man she did not recognize.

Her mother and father were as she expected. Her father, _Hiroshi_ , was a Japanese man of medium height, who worked at Fuji television as a sales director. He was very strict, but she knew that he cared about her. Her mother, _Minami_ , was a small woman of delicate features, who was usually very deferential to her father, but every now and then, a spark of _tiger_ came out. Usually then, her father knew the meaning of the western saying "discretion is the better part of valor", if maybe not the words, and she got what they wanted. Fortunately, these moments of family discord were rare, and most of the time, things were peaceful, if a little distant and formal.

The stranger was an entirely different quantity. He was an older Japanese man of medium build, with grey hair and the face of a businessman. He was impeccably dressed in a suit and tie, and was sitting at the low table, with a stern look on his face. She knew instinctively that he was not to be trifled with.

Her father spoke. 「Mayu-chan, sit.」, he said, a little sharply. She knelt down primly onto one of the pillows, carefully smoothing her _gakuseifuku_ skirt as she sat.

「This is Mr. Suzuki Hitoshi. He is a representative of the Magical Ministry.」

「hajimemashite」, she bowed. 「yoroshiku onegaishimasu」. The stranger responded in kind. But any further questions were stopped with a raised hand.

「All will be explained, Mayu-chan」, her father said gravely. She did as he said and sat quietly. Her father was very strict, but fair. If he said it would be explained, it would be explained.

The stranger, Suzuki-san, spoke. His voice was low and quiet.

「Mayu-chan, you have special abilities. There are others of your kind. It is required of all children with these abilities to be educated in how to use those abilities. I represent the Magical Ministry of Japan. There are many other ministries across the world, and each maintains at least one school for educating children who are… different… in this way. Do you understand so far?」

Mayu nodded.

「Good. As at this point, thanks to game shows, students always think this is a prank, I assure you that it is not. Observe.」

Suzuki-san pulled out a stick and made a soft, very _kawaii_ plush appear. The plush was a small hamster. It looked at her, and said in a very soft, high voice, 「Hi! What is your name?」

At this point Mayu was unsure what to make of the situation, so she did the only thing an eleven year old could do at this point. First she giggled. Then she fainted.

A few seconds later, after being revived with a _rennervate_ spell, she slowly sat back up, blinking her eyes slowly. The plush looked at her again, still as cute as ever. 「Hi What is your name?」, it asked again, a little slower, as if to say "Are you too stupid to understand what I just asked you?"

Hesitantly, she opened her mouth. 「Watanabe Mayu.」

The plush smiled widely. 「Mayu-chan! Nice to meet you! I will be your friend! We'll go everywhere together, and -」 the plush abruptly fell silent and Suzuki-san put away his wand.

「That is a _magic hamster_. Made with a combination of muggle and magical technology. It has many different features. It will be invaluable to you in the future.」

Mayu's father spoke up.

「Mayu-chan, Suzuki-san has made us a most generous offer.」

「That's right」, Suzuki-san took the conversation back. 「Typically students would be enrolled in a magic school here in Japan, but occasionally the government of Japan will send one student abroad to be an exchange student at a foreign school. You have been selected to be that student. Your selected school will be Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, in Scotland. You will spend one year there, after which we will evaluate the exchange and decide whether to continue or to place you back in a Japanese magical school」

Mayu's eyes were growing wider and the shock was growing on her face as the growing realization struck her that she was being sent halfway around the world. She looked at her father, who nodded.

「It was indeed a most generous offer, Mayu-chan, and we have accepted.」

「No」, she breathed. 「no no no no no」

「Mayu-chan!」, her father snapped. 「You will not bring shame upon this family! It is decided!」

Inwardly she was seething, but her _tatemae_ (footnote 1) mask slid on full force, and she composed herself.

「Father, I -」

「Suzuki-san interrupted. You will continue your studies in Japanese language and culture. Hogwarts has assured us that private lessons will be provided. Meantime, a student from that school will be staying here in Japan under the same arrangements. Do you have any questions?」

She shook her head mutely. One tear dropped from her left eye. Only her mother noticed.

He stood up. 「Good. Arrangements will be made. School starts September 1. Remember that you are representing your country and your Emperor. He pulled a paper from his suit and put it next to the hamster. Operating instructions. Goodbye.」

「He bowed formally to her parents, and a little less formally to her」, then walked out of the house.

She stood up, her face carefully composed, the tear splashing on the table. She bowed stiffly and formally to her parents, her eyes still wet.

「May I take my leave, sir?」 she asked, using the most formal language she knew.

「Mayu-chan」, her mother started.

She turned towards her mother. 「I would never bring shame upon the family, Ma'am. I wish to depart. Please let me know if I am needed. I will see myself out.」

She picked up her still insensate hamster and its instructions, stood up and walked numbly to her room. The door closed, and muffled sobs could be heard through the thin wood. Her father looked straight ahead, his face impassive, and her mother glared at him.

「anata ga ureshii da, otto?」,(footnote 2) she spat. 「You make a decision for our daughter with no regard whatsoever for her feelings, and don't even allow her to _respond_? If even one hair on her head is damaged, I will have your _balls_.」

「It wasn't my choice -」

「Oh, spare me the sob story」, she almost spat out. 「I have played the dutiful Japanese wife for twelve years now, I have made dinner every single night, I have worn _kimono_ to your business events and entertained clients when they got so drunk they passed out on our floor. I have sat by while you have made decision after decision without any of our input. And do you know why? Because I trusted you to know what's best for our family, and I am content to play my role as a wife. But this time, _dear_ , you'd better know what you're doing, because if I have to choose between my daughter and you, _I will choose my daughter_. _Kisama_ ga wakari da?」 (footnote 3)

Hiroshi gulped. 「Clearly.」

Minami stood up and smoothed out her dress, putting her _tatemae_ mask back on with some difficulty.

「Good. Now I will see to my daughter. I will be preparing dinner a little late this evening.」

He nodded, and she walked stiffly to her daughter's room. He did not move. When the _tiger_ came out, she was not joking and she was not bluffing, and he knew it full well.

\- Mayuyu -

Mayu's room was the room of a typical Japanese eleven year old, if a slightly _otaku_ one. There were _tatami_ covering the floor, and a futon near the window with a small light above it. Near the door was a desk, and a bookshelf full of _manga_ and _anime_ books and movies. As she loved to draw, the desk (and the wall above) was covered with rather good drawings of anime characters. Currently, however, the futon was occupied with a young girl who had cried herself hoarse. Now she was covered by a blanket and curled up in the smallest ball she could make, unable to cry any more, just hiccuping softly, with small sobs occasionally finding their way out.

The door to Mayu's room slid open slowly.「Mayu-chan?」, her mother said, softly.

She did not move.

Her mother knelt down on a pillow next to the futon.

「I told your father I would castrate him if a hair on your head was harmed.」

Mayu giggled a little in spite of herself. That was her mother's tiger coming out. She knew it well. She flipped around on her futon to face her mother, with the blanket still over her head.

「I like it here, mother. This is my home.」, she said, her voice muffled through the blanket. 「I don't want to go and… no one asked me.」

Minami sighed. 「Mayu-chan, our culture is not like many others. There are not many choices. Do you think I got to choose who I married?」

Mayu bolted up, the blanket dropping back to the futon, forgotten. Her face was a mess, her _gakuseifuku_ wrinkled and disshevelled.

「 _NANI_?」, she gasped, her mouth having dropped open.

Minami nodded. 「My father chose my husband for me. I told your father that if he ever does that to you he will never see me, or you, again.」

「Did you love him?」

Minami frowned. 「I didn't at first. But I grew to. And I wouldn't have you otherwise, would I?」

Mayu sat cross-legged on her futon, her head down. Her mother reached over and tipped her head up by lifting her chin with a finger. Mayu savored the touch - As with many Japanese parents, hers did not show much physical affection.

「Why don't you want to go?」, Minami asked.

「I like it here! I have friends and I know people and I am learning stuff and I am learning piano and I was hoping to audition to be an idol…」

「It's only for a year, Mayu-chan. It will all be here when you get back.」

「I know, but…」

「Mayu-chan, how many idols can speak English?」

Mayu thought for a second. 「Umm… Ayaka-san? And… Mika-san?」

「Don't you think it would give you an advantage if you could speak English well? Maybe you could even get into Morning Musume!」

Mayu's eyes regained some of their shine, but she wasn't going to give up that easily.

「I still don't like it, mother.」

Minami patted her knee. 「Give it a chance. I promise that if it turns out to be a bad experience, I will be on the first flight there and will rip you out of that school so fast that they won't be able to see it with magic. Now change out of that _gakuseifuku_ and put on something more appropriate for dinner. You get something special to eat tonight. Your father will be lucky if he gets swill. Be ready in 20 minutes.」 She stood up and walked softly through the door, and slid it closed.

Mayu sat up and wrapped her arms around her knees, lost in thought. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Maybe… well, what's done was done.

「 ganbatte」 , she thought to herself. 「I'll try my best.」

And she quickly changed into clothing more suited for dinner. She was still hungry, and her mother promised something good. Maybe tonkatsu! Or sukiyaki! Or tako! A few minutes later, after washing her face, she walked out, ready to face her father. And eat some _oishii_ food.

Footnotes and author's notes:

1 tatemae: As opposed to "honne", the figurative mask that Japanese people put on to hide their true feelings.

2 あなた (anata) is a particularly odd word - it is the least rude way of saying "you", but outside of very narrow contexts, it's still a bit rude. It implies either stranger or beloved. In this case, she meant both meanings. "da" is also a much more direct way of saying "desu".

3 きさま (kisama) is arguably the rudest form of "you" possible in Japanese. It is how you would address a king. It basically means "Your Royal Highness" and is absolutely _dripping_ with sarcasm. Note that the second least rudest way of saying "you" (umae) means, essentially, "put 'em up". There are three others in between.

A/N: I didn't realize until I was writing this how much the Japanese language, with all of its traditional politeness, makes it possible to be absolutely, incredibly, mind-bendingly _rude_ when the situation calls for it. I can't really describe in English how much verbal whoop-ass Minami rained down on her husband. We think he deserved it, and so does Minami, but y'know? That's not too far off from some bits of Japanese culture, really. As far as I know, anyway. Hope you're enjoying so far. I have a lot of plans for this story, and plan on working on it much more regularly than I have some others. I know, at least generally, where this one is going.

7/4/18: I fixed a couple of grammar issues. In a question, the particle is always "ga", not "wa". That is the hardest thing for _gaijin_ like me to wrap my head around :-)


	2. Aitakatta

Mayu found her way to the dining area, where her parents were already seated. Dinner was her favorite, ramen in tonkatsu broth with steamed rice. Her family put their hands together and said _itadakimasu_ , (footnote 1) after which she grabbed her _hashi_ and chowed down.

There was, as was typical, not much talking while they ate, but after everyone had their fill and the _hashi_ were put away, her father cleared his throat.

「 Mayu-chan」, he stated matter of factly.

She lifted her eyes, and sat stiffly. 「Father」, she said, formally.

He sighed, and a certain amount of vulnerability was showing on his face.

「I have failed you.」

Mayu did not answer. For, in her heart, she did feel as if his words were truth.

「I want for you what every father wants for his child, Mayu-chan. Success. Luck...」He sat rigid, with his hands flat on the table. 「All of these things are important, child. But I forgot the most important thing of all. Do you know what that is?」

She shook her head, mutely.

He paused for a moment, obviously thinking about what his next words were.「We go to the shrine praying for success, for luck, even for happiness. We make offerings to _kami_. But what do we find? Rules. Disappointment. Trying our best… _ganbarou_ , child, and yet we still fail. I forget that you are a child.」

She lowered her eyes.

「We expect a lot out of children, child. There is a lot to learn, particularly in our world, and little time to learn it in. I expect a lot of you. But you are not an adult. You are eleven years old. The things we expect out of adults I should not expect out of you. To ignore your feelings to the extent that I did tonight was not excusable and brought shame to our family. Mayu-chan… Mayu- _san_ … _sumimasen._ 」(footnote 2) He bowed deeply.

A tear leaked out of her eye as she bowed back. Her mother smiled and patted his hand. 「Good man」, she said, and she got some dessert out of the refrigerator and served it. Both Mayu and her father recognized it for what it was - a kind of apology in its own right. Oh, she meant every word, but she _was_ rude, and she knew it. Mayu wiped the tear from her eye and ate her dessert thoughtfully.

「You have homework to do. Go do it. We will talk later.」, her father said, a little gruffly, after dessert.

She nodded and stood up from the low table. As her mother started clearing the table, she padded back to her room. Her father almost never praised her, only driving her to more. Nothing she did was good enough, if she got a good grade in school, he asked her why it wasn't better. She wondered sometimes if he even cared, even though she knew that he did. He also never apologized. She was, frankly, astonished that he did. But that was why she considered him fair, if strict. If he was truly wrong, he admitted it.

But it was nice to hear it, sometimes.

Sliding the door closed, she saw the little hamster sitting on her desk, where she had left it the last time she went to her room. She picked it up and started to look around to see if there was an obvious way to turn it on. Finally, squeezing it's tummy just a little, she felt it stir, and she placed it carefully back on the table.

「 _kanban wa_ , Mayu-chan!」, it said cheerfully.

She smiled. The cheerful little plush could grow on her. 「What is your name?」, she asked it.

「Chewy!」, it said. 「Oh, we're going to have so much fun! First, though, please read the instructions. They are important. I will wait here and answer any questions after. _onegaishimasu_!」Chewy stilled, and she picked up the instructions.

「Congratulations on being chosen for the _Nihon_ cultural exchange! This year, every participant in this project is provided with a Kawaii Personal Assistant. This assistant has many different features! Please read the instructions for full details, but these features are designed to make your stay overseas as painless as possible.

Your Kawaii Personal Assistant can:

Translate simple words and phrases (though this capacity is very limited)

Act as a limited interface to online resources and encyclopaedias

Record up to thirty minutes of voice previous and transmit on command

Record a journal and store it in a safe place

Act as an emergency portkey to a safe place

Act as a communication conduit to specific others in an emergency situation

Become invisible or masquerade as an item of jewelry or clothing

Charge itself off of magical ley-lines - no battery or mains power needed!

Once registered, your Kawaii Personal assistant can also track your location at all times, in a matter that is completely transparent to all known wards and warding schemes. It also is impossible to remove it from your person. It also may not be unregistered when off of soil under the jurisdiction of the government of Japan.

Your Kawaii Personal Assistant is resistant to all known spells absent the "Killing Curse"

Your Kawaii Personal Assistant has a rudimentary intelligence and can, when either you or it are threatened, is capable of making limited autonomous decisions on your behalf.

Please note that, while some of these features may be seen as intrusive, they are for your own safety and comfort. While the vast majority of students participating in an exchange problem have had no problems and, indeed, had a wonderful and educational time, this has not always been the case, and we wish to ensure that your stay is as safe and happy as possible.

Please enjoy your Kawaii Personal Assistant! You may continue reading for further information, or your Personal Assistant will have a limited help ability.

Again, congratulations!」

Mayu frowned. What had happened in the past that had required such measures? She was starting to have a bad feeling about this. When she looked back down, she noticed that the instructions had turned into a rather thick hardcover book, that was oddly light with strong but flimsy-looking, plasticky pages that did not tear. She set the book down and chewy came back to life.

「Did you read the instructions, Mayu-chan? Why do you look so unhappy?」, it asked with a very cute little frown.

She thought for a small amount of time. 「Chewy, what happened that they needed to provide you?」

Chewy made a soft whistling sound. 「I don't know, Mayu-chan. That information is not available to me. But I will protect you to the best of my ability! I was created to ensure your safety. I can't fight well, but I'm not defenseless, and I will help you be safe!」

Mayu grinned. 「Can you help with me with my homework?」

Chewy giggled, a small, high-pitched sound. 「No, silly. That's yours to do. I will just sit here and ponder the meaning of waffles.」 Mayu giggled cutely, and Chewy moved its mouth happily and then stilled.

Mayu got out her homework and went to work. Kanji wasn't going to learn itself!

\- まゆゆ -

The next morning, Mayu dressed in her _gakuseifuku_ (which for her school, was a navy blue uniform with a slightly above the knee skirt, a white shirt, and kerchief-like tie) and rode her bicycle to school. It had been a rough evening, but it was a cool, fragrant morning, and the ride to school was pleasant and uneventful. Before she left, her father had warned her to not tell her friends about magic or Hogwarts, though she could tell them she was going to be an exchange student. Also, since Chewy was a magically enhanced electronic device, she could show her friends if she wanted. Chewy was looking forward to meeting them.

She was also happy because spring vacation was coming up very shortly and her father had promised to take her to work with him one day. He knew she was curious about his workplace and seemed to want to make it up to her. Also, they needed to visit the magical district of Tokyo and get her supplies for school. Suzuki-san had agreed to send someone to show them around, and she was honestly very much looking forward to it.

Finally, she got to school, and put her bicycle on the rack. Smoothing down her _gakuseifuku_ skirt, she walked into the building, took off her shoes and put them neatly in the provided cubbies, and made her way to her classroom. Walking through the sliding door, she was greeted by her best friends, Takahashi Ai (who was always being teased because she had the same name as a Morning Musume idol, but Ai is a common name in Japan and means "love"), and Kawasaki Midori. Ai was a small girl with long black hair in twintails and a cute face that she used to her advantage, and Midori was slightly taller with a shorter haircut. She was a little bit _potchari_ , but had decided it was baby fat and didn't seem to worry too much about it. Her rounded face actually made her look more childlike. Mayu had known her friends since kindergarten, and they know almost everything about each other. So it was not a surprise that they both immediately knew something was wrong.

「 _Daijoubu desu ka_?」(footnote 3), Midori asked.

「 _hontouninai_ 」(footnote 4), Mayu said. But just then the bell rang and they all had to stand up and greet the teacher, who had just walked in. 「I'll tell you at lunch」, she said hurriedly, and class began.

At lunchtime, they pulled the meals out of their lunchboxes and ate their bentos. Mayu had an _oishii_ fried ebi and steamed rice meal. As she was eating, her friends asked her again what was wrong.

「I'm… not going to be here next year」, she said, sadly. 「I'm being sent to a boarding school in Scotland.」

Her friends gasped. 「Really? Why?」, they asked, shocked.

「Apparently it's a school for the gifted and sometimes they send exchange students. I hear one will be coming here to Japan as well.」

Ai started to sniffle. 「 But… but… you're my best friend!」

Midori smirked. 「I'll miss you… but I'm green with envy! You'll have to send us letters and tell us all about it!」

Mayu laughed (footnote 5). She hugged her friends. 「I needed that! Of course I will, and it's only for a year, and it doesn't start until September… so you have all summer to get sick of me!」

Ai smacked Mayu on the back of the head. 「We'll never be sick of you. You know that… _daisuki_ 」She sniffled again, and Midori was starting to sniffle too.

Ir was getting altogether too sad, so Mayu decided on distraction, and pulled Chewy out of her backpack. 「You have to see this!」, she said happily and her friends fell all over him. After a lot of high pitched squeals of " _kawaii_!" (which drew all sorts of other children to see what the fuss was about), they spent the rest of lunch finishing their food and chatting animatedly amongst the four of them. Chewy enjoyed meeting her friends, and they loved him. They wanted one for themselves, and she had to tell them no, but she would let them talk to Chewy whenever they wanted, within reason. They had to accept that, but they loved Chewy enough that they easily acquiesced. What's not to love about a talking plush hamster?

「It'll be alright」, Mayu thought, as she put the always cheerful Chewy back in her backpack and set back to doing her schoolwork, resolving to spend as much time as possible over the next few months with her best friends.

\- まゆゆ -

Ron Weasley was having a pretty good day. He was sitting at a bench at his home at the Burrow with his family, eating dinner. It was a particularly good dinner, his mum had outdone herself again! His little sister, Ginny, was being annoying, but she was always annoying. He wished she would stop asking him if he was excited to meet Harry Potter. Everyone was, but school was months away, and he didn't care about all that! There was food!

An owl arrived, addressed to him. He clumsily unburdened the owl of its load. It pecked at him, grabbed some of his dinner, and flew off, smacking him in the head with its broad wings. After cursing a bit at the owl ("Language, Ronald!") he opened the letter and read it. His mouth dropped open.

"Mum", he said, and handed the letter to her. She read it and her face grew more and more thunderous. She shoved the letter in Arthur's face and stormed off without a word.

 _Mr. Ronald Weasley_

 _Congratulations! You have been chosen as this year's representative of the British Magical Realm to be an international exchange student! The country you have been chosen to attend is_ _Japan_ _. While you are there, you will be trained in magic at the_ _Tokyo School of Magic and Arts_ _, and will be staying with a host family._

 _A Ministry representative will be visiting between now and then to finalize the arrangements. Please remember that you are representing Great Britain and Her Majesty, the Queen. Any effort you make to learn about the language or the culture of your host country before you leave will be most helpful, we advise you to do so. You will be staying in Japan for one year, after which any additional time will be re-evaluated._

 _Again, congratulations, and we wish you success._

 _Mathilda Hopkirk_

Ron was looking panicky. "I don't want to, dad. I want to go to Hogwarts. Why can't I go to Hogwarts?"

Arthur wasn't looking very happy. "Ronald, I don't know what's going on. I was not consulted. I'll get to the bottom of this at work tomorrow." He got up and followed his wife. She would not be happy at all.

Ron shrugged. Japan couldn't be all that different from England, could it? He shoved more food in his mouth. His father would take care of it.

Arthur found his wife in their bedroom. She was sitting on her bed with tears in his eyes.

"Japan?", she said, tearfully.

Arthur sighed. "I have absolutely no idea what's going on, Mollywobbles. I'll find out tomorrow."

"But.. Japan. I don't want him going to Japan! It's so backwards there! He won't be happy!"

"I know, dear", he said, sitting down next to her. "I'll put a stop to it."

She sniffled. "I hope so. I don't want him going to that awful place. All those… people", she said, hoping he understood what she was saying.

He did. And he meant it. He was going to put a stop to it.

The next day, he came home, thunderous. There was food on the table, but he ignored it, instead uncharacteristically punching a wall.

"Arthur, what happened?"

Arthur sighed and sat down on the bench, looking defeated. He put his head in his hands. "Ronald's going to Japan. This program is by order of the Queen. Apparently they think that we need to have some cultural cross-pollenation or some such, she thinks we're getting too stagnant and insular." To this, Molly scoffed, and Arthur nodded. "There's nothing I can do without going against the orders of the Queen herself. I'm sorry dear. I'm sorry Ronald. You're going."

Molly screamed and ran out of the room. Ron was not a happy camper either, but dinner was on the table, and first things first… Ron did not say _itadakemasu_.

1\. いて抱きます - itadakimasu. Thanks for the meal.

2\. すみません - sumimasen. A particularly formal way of apologizing. Seems Mayu's family does little by half. Maybe that's how Mayu got her somewhat intense personality.

3\. 大丈夫 - It's okay, or are you okay? Probably one of the more useful words to know in Japanese.

4\. I am not going to translate every Japanese word I use. I will not translate this one. But I will say that "nai" is the negative verb ending, so it means she's not something. This should be enough for you to understand the general meaning of what she is saying.

5\. 緑 みどり - midori - green. It's a pun. The Japanese language is very easy to pun in.

A/N So this is a bit of a short chapter (maybe they will all be this short, but that just means more of them!), but we can see where this is going. Molly's attitude is, obviously, wrong and some would say offensive. It's also not out of the norm for my wizarding Great Britain. That fact, and the fact that Arthur could not stop it from happening and why, is important.

Hope you're enjoying. So far, very little crack!

7/4/18: I misspelled "itadakimasu". Sigh.


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